I Saw You Today
by Kt luvs
Summary: I saw you today,I realized how far apart we've grown,i know i should ask you how you're doing,but i can't,i wish i could.You don't know me anymore,everything is so different now" ONESHOT Troyella 4eva R


I saw you today

**So, this was just an idea that I had when my friend gave me this small little passage like thing. It's cute and I immediately thought of Troyella. Funny how that happens isn't it? Anyway, here it is…**

_Italics- actions_

_**Bold italics- Flashbacks and thoughts**_

**I Saw You Today**

**Troy's POV**

It's been a long time. Let's just leave it at that yeah? A very long time. _Sigh. _

I'm Troy Bolton and I turned 23 this week. Where have the years gone? It seems like yesterday that I won the championships, met her, kissed her and watched her leave.

I guess, as you're spending your time reading this, I should tell you a bit about myself; leading up until my 23 year old self.

Well, I work in this five star restaurant. My friend Zeke owns it with his crazy-hyper wife Sharpay. You all know the story there so; I won't go any further into it. I see my best friend Chad regularly; he went on to play professional basketball. His wife Taylor is now five months pregnant with twins. With them (when they're born) and Chad, Taylor has a lot to handle. Then there's Jason and Kelsi. I see them on Thanksgiving every year. They moved to London when they were both 20. Kelsi got an awesome opportunity that she couldn't let go; Jason followed her, knowing she would do the same if it was his dreams.

Last but not least…Gabriella. All those years I spent with her…amazing. There's nothing in the world that could make me forget. She was and is the love of my life…whether she knows it or not. That's basically where my story begins…High School Graduation…

"_**So…" she mumbled. I stood there, gawking at her. Not sure I heard her right or I was dreaming and any minute now she was going to pinch my arm, at the end of homeroom. But, she didn't. She just stood there, looking at the ground, the sky, the bushes around us; anywhere but my face. I could just about make out the blood that was building on her lip as she bit it too hard. My hand so badly wanted to reach forward and wipe it away but, I couldn't. She'd slap it away and shout abuse or something at me…knowing her. But, I didn't really anymore. She'd changed. That was the only explanation for her doing this…right?**_

"_**I had better go?" See even she wasn't sure what she wanted!**_

"_**Why?" Wow I hadn't expected my head to make my voice croak that out. **_

"_**Because…we're too different. And as we go to college we're going to get even more different. I'm sorry. I thoug**__**ht you'd understand." She whispered. **_

"_**Understand? You're breaking up with me Brie…what is there really to understand? Am I to understand that your excuse for ending things with me is that you think we'll change? Or are you hiding behind the fact you no longer love me?" she sighed aggravated. **_

"_**Troy! I gave you the reason! You can either take it or leave it alright? It's over. I'm sorry! I'll see you around…maybe." And she briskly walked away. She left…and I let her walk away. Whilst quietly mumbling a last…**_

"_**I love you…"**_

That's right…she killed me. Well, that's dramatic but, I can't remember the last girl I 'attempted' to date. She is and always will be The One.

I see her around quite a lot. It doesn't help the 'healing' process. She smiles, sometimes. She always seems though to gain speed in her car or walking. Odd.

Anyway, did I mention I sing at this restaurant? Well, I do. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. It's fun. The cheering crowd, the encores, the rush but, there's always something missing. I'll turn to the side of me and she isn't standing there- smiling. She isn't singing with me. I'm just singing on my own. Alone. My smile falters before I realize where I am and that an audience doesn't really want a crying entertainer but, a happy, smiling, hot one.

"Troy?" Sharpay gently placed her arm on my shoulder. I look up and smile. "Are you ok?" she asks. She's so different from High School. She's a lot more caring now.

"Yeah. Just thinking you know?" She nods her head in understanding. Amazingly she is the only one who understands.

"Troy, we all love you. But, we worry. It's nearly been 5 years." She whispers taking the seat next to me. I smile half-heartedly. She's right. They all think I don't know that but I'm not stupid. I understand how long it is. It's the same amount of time that I've missed her so much.

"Shar…" I sigh and she hugs me.

"I know Troy. I know. I get it. But…" she shakes her head deciding against whatever it was she was about to say. "Hey, it's Friday. Why don't you sing that new song you've been working on? I love it."

"Shar," I chuckle. "It's one verse long. I can't sing that." I shake my head as she nods.

"Yes you can! To end the show. Please?" I shake my head no. "I'm your employer and you will do what I say!" she glares at me and I find myself nodding a yes. She really can be scary. "Good boy. I'll catch up with you later."

And she does that Sharpay- cat walk- walk to the kitchen. Obviously to tell Zeke of some sort of plan that that evil little mind of hers is concocting.

"I'm leaving!" I shout through the now closing door. I hear a faint ok and bye as I walk out of the restaurant.

The morning sun blinded me as I slowly walked down the street not really knowing where to go. So, I pulled my sun glasses on as I turned into the park.

Many weeks in summer were spent here. The barbecues, the basketball games…the dates.

Come on! Why does everything always seem to come down to her?!

I sit down on a bench and watch as some kids run around with a dog.

"Kaci! Andy! Get away from that dog now!" called what I supposed was the mother. The two kids immediately stopped chasing the overly stressed dog and stood still waiting for their 'mother' to catch them up.

As the figure came over the hill I gaped. My mouth literally fell to the floor.

"Gabriella?" her head shoots in my direction. Damn, didn't mean to say that out loud.

She awkwardly walks towards me and looks about her.

"Oh hi Troy." She says, still not looking at me.

"Hey," I say standing up. "I haven't seen you with kids before…I haven't actually seen you around town for a while." I always ramble.

"I've been visiting some old friends…from college." She whispers. I nod slowly.

"That doesn't explain the kids…" I smile slightly but, frown when I see her eyes change.

"Babysitting." She says bluntly. Her eyes suddenly get darker. "Why do you care anyway?! It's not like we're together!"

Her outburst surprisingly didn't shock me. I could almost see it coming. Inwards I was smirking. "I was just wondering. You're right we're not together- that doesn't mean we can't be friends though right?" she nods. "Exactly, and a friend is allowed to ask other friends questions."

She smiled slightly. "Clever." She mumbles.

"So, how's…life been?" I ask as we take a seat. The two kids running around us.

"Good…good. Yours?" she asked looking at me for the first time.

"Alright." We both shrugged. Obviously not bothered by the fact that we both knew the other would prefer to be somewhere else. Gabriella would prefer to be anywhere but here with me and I would prefer Gabriella to be holding me, and we'd be watching OUR kids instead of someone else's. Stupid wrong turnings.

"Umm, where are you working now?" she asks.

"Zeke and Sharpay's restaurant. I'm the head-liner there for the weekends and Matrier'd for the rest of the week. You?" I look across at her and she's smiling watching the kids play on the swings. She's always been so motherly.

"Wow, singing." She giggled. Damn that giggle. It's still able to make my heart flutter. "I actually work at the hospital. I'm a nurse…almost." She giggled once again. "I never really have time to myself but, it's nice to spend it with them." She nodded in the direction of the children.

I smile. "Whose are they?"

"My best friend from college. They live with their father. Michelle, she…uhh…passed away last year." She wiped under her eyes. Gulping I slowly and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She smiled slightly with the affection and moved closer. I inwardly smiled. "I try to see them as regularly as possible. I'm there god-mother." She smiled proudly. "They're twins."

"Another pair." I chuckled. "Not that I see Ryan anymore. Director now."

"Yeah I know. Taylor told me the last time I talked to her. And her and Chad have their baby soon right?" she asked getting quite excited by the news.

"Babies." I said. Her eyes lit up asking if I was telling the truth. I nodded and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"I miss it." She whispered.

"Me too. High school was so…so worth it. Everything turned out great and we all have memories that will last a lifetime." She nodded. "I've…missed you."

Her head quickly snapped away from me as did her whole body. She glanced quickly to see if Kaci and Andy were alright before turning her glare back at me.

"Don't you dare! We've been there and I'm sorry but I don't wanna go there again…ever. We're different Troy. We've changed; grown." She stood up, grabbing the attention of Kaci and Andy who came running over. "Good bye Troy." She said briskly before walking away.

Walking away…again.

…

"Thank you all. I'll be back after a short break." I say down the microphone that was sitting on the stand. I jump off the mini stage and walk to where the guys were sitting.

"That's was great Troy." Sharpay gushed. I smiled half-heartedly once again. "Brie?" I nodded but Sharpay shook her head and passes past me.

"Sharpay!"

I turned at the sweet sound.

"What are you doing here?" I heard Sharpay's squeak ask.

"I haven't seen you for a while." Came Gabriella's gentle, calming voice.

They both came back to the table and I caught her eyes for a spilt second before she looked away. I sighed.

"Gabi!" Zeke exclaimed as he pulled the small girl in for a hug.

"Zeke," she giggled; music to my ears. "Troy." She whispered nodding at me slightly.

"Gabriella." That sounded weird. I haven't called her Gabriella to her face in such a long time. It's normally Brie. Because she's MY Brie. Well, she was.

"Gabi, you've changed so much." Sharpay said examining Gabriella. Gabriella took a step back and spun around.

She was right. Gabriella had changed. Her once short, curly hair (which she had done before her first summer in Alburquque) was now back to its long state but, was straight. She now had a full fringe that almost reached her eyes. Her once, barely any make up face now, had smoky black eyes and lip-gloss. And, her once casual look was now changed to a skirt and white blouse covered in a black waist coat. On her feet were high heeled black wedges; not her usual white or black dolly shoes. She looked her age. She looked beautiful…and dare I say it…sexy.

Of course, I had always thought of her as sexy…but, this; nearly every male's eyes were focused on her. And she actually liked it.

"Troy?" I snapped my eyes away from glaring at the men who were staring at her. "You're back on." Zeke said. I nodded and stood back on stage.

I sang my usual songs with an added one here and there. I couldn't help but notice a certain brown eyed girl staring at me…her mouth hanging slightly open. But, as usual, I looked to my side and she wasn't there. She should've been. I blinked and imagined her there for a split second but, when I opened them she was busily talking to Sharpay at the table.

"Thank you so much for tonight. You've all been amazing. I just have one last song to sing for you tonight. Now, it's not exactly finished but, who cares right?" I chuckled before grabbing my acoustic guitar.

Sharpay's eyes gleamed and looked at Gabriella hopefully.

I strummed a few chords before beginning singing.

"Ooooh, oh yeahhh,

I saw you today.

I realized how far apart we've grown.

I know I should ask you how you're doing,

But I can't. I wish I could.

It occurred to me that we're strangers now.

You don't know me anymore,

Much less want to.

Everything is so different now.

And yet,

I'm a guy,

Who will always remember that girl,

The girl who stole his heart way back in high school,

As I saw you in all your glory,

I realized how far apart we've grown.

I know I should ask you how you're doing,

But I can't. I wish I could.

It occurred to me that we're strangers now.

You don't know me anymore,

Much less want to.

Everything is so different now.

Ohhhh, I saw you today,

Yeah baby,

I saw you today."

"Thank you." I whisper down the micro phone before stepping off stage to the applauding crowd.

As I walked back to the table I saw Gabriella's eyes glazed over. She stood up when I reached it.

"That…was about me?" she whispered close to tears. I nodded and she gulped as she blinked. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left. We are different though…aren't we?" she wrapped her arms around my neck and I wrap mine around her waist.

"Everyone changes." I whisper into her same smelling hair.

"I saw you today," she whispered barely audible. "And fell in love all over again." I squeeze her tighter but, she pulls away from me and tears fall from those beautiful eyes. "But, we've changed. I wonder how we…how we would cope. Let's start over…Gabriella." She giggles as she sticks her hand out.

I chuckle but shake my head. "That never worked for us before." She nodded as even more tears fell.

"I guess…I'll see you around?" she whispered hopefully.

"Of course." I reply attempting a smile. She nods, waves to Sharpay and Zeke and leaves the restaurant. Only for me to mumble a last…

"I love you."

**I'll let you think of how it turns out…lol**

**What did you think?**

**If people want me to do a second chapter because you wanna know how things turn out then REVIEW lol.**

**WithMuchLove**

**Katie.**

**Hope you like it ;) **


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